Microsoft Surface Phone: Is New Windows Smartphone About To Be Announced?

Forget about the Surface Pro 5; it looks like Microsoft could actually be announcing the product that many have been waiting for the most — the Surface Phone. iTech Post has the news.

“Microsoft might use this year’s IFA conference in Berlin as a good occasion for an official announcement about the Surface Phone series, its second-generation smartphone lineup.”

The article adds that the phone could actually go on sale in October. However, they also say that the Surface Pro 5 could be announced in October, which is unlikely since most other sources point to a release next spring. The article also suggests that the Surface Phone could come in three different options. One would have 32GB of storage with 3GB of RAM, and another would have 128GB of storage with 6GB RAM. The largest configuration would have 500GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.

Many other sources point to a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, while others say the display will be 5.7 inches. It’s also suggested that the phone would run on a mobile processor such as a Snapdragon or Intel ATOM CPU. BGR even posted alleged leaked photos but wasn’t too thrilled about Microsoft’s upcoming phone.

“It’s also a painfully clear indication that you shouldn’t purchase a Windows-powered smartphone, no matter how appealing it looks. And the new Surface phone certainly looks appealing.”

The opinion piece adds that people want to use Windows on a laptop, not a mobile phone. Some of the commenters at the end of the article agree that a phone running Windows may not be a good idea.

“The Windows mobile system needs far more refinement than it currently has, but MS has had years to refine it. It should be a supreme system by now. The fact that it isn’t is why it isn’t growing in the market,” says Marty.

“Microsoft has had a mobile phone OS for decades and its stunk the whole time. Memory management has been a disaster for them since Windows CE,” claims RAS.

Still, there is a lot of excitement for the Surface Phone on Twitter.

Despite its critics, the Surface Phone can still end up being a huge success. Microsoft would be releasing the Surface Phone right after the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4, both which have been hailed as groundbreaking devices. At the end of 2015, Business Insider’s Matt Weinberger wrote an article about what he considered a comeback year for Microsoft.

“In other words, not only did 2015 see me start to use Microsoft products for the first time in many years — I’m actually excited about what Microsoft will come up with next,” Weinberger said, which is a sentiment echoed by many.

The article adds that Microsoft finally got over itself as well as its sense of pride and own history. Instead of looking back, they looked forward and actually started making things that people like to use. However, the Surface Pro brand started off as a maligned brand in early 2013. By 2015, it was critically acclaimed and finally a commercial success.

Even though Microsoft is aiming the Surface Phone at the business sector, there are a lot of hurdles that need to be overcome. One of them is the fact that Apple and Samsung are more established in making smartphones. However, with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 recall and the lack of major excitement for the iPhone 7, perhaps 2016 will be the year that Microsoft finally makes its mark in the smartphone industry.

[Photo by Ted S. Warren/AP Images]